This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. Primary support for the subproject and the subproject's principal investigator may have been provided by other sources, including other NIH sources. The Total Cost listed for the subproject likely represents the estimated amount of Center infrastructure utilized by the subproject, not direct funding provided by the NCRR grant to the subproject or subproject staff. The Prof. Wolczanski group (Cornell) is interested in the synthesis, reactivity and applications of transition metal complexes. Using sterically bulky ligands (e.g, silox(tBu3SiO), tBu3SiNH, tBu3SiN and tritox (tBu3CO)), they explore the reactivity of low coordinate metal centers that cleave CX (X = H, C, heteroatom) bonds. ESR can provide important structural information and give insight into the extend of ligand participation into metal bonding.